A new Law
by RosevalleyNB
Summary: It had been two months now, eight weeks since her live had been altered forever. Fifty six days since the utterly despicable bastards at the Ministry had passed the Marriage Law. One-shot. AU.


**Disclaimer: Anything recognisable belongs to their rightful owner(s). **

**A one-shot for now.**

* * *

The winter night was silent, the only sound that could be heard was the rustle of the trees in the wind and the occasional hooting of an owl. It was the coldest winter witnessed in years, the temperatures were below zero for weeks now and it had been snowing for the last two days. The cold confided many people to their homes. Heating charms could do so much and no one wanted to be caught in the freezing weather.

A young woman, about the age of eighteen, braved the weather though, and ploughed her way through the ankle high snow. She was running away, her only goal to reach the next village, a Muggle village. Leaving her home in the middle of the night had not been planned, but there hadn't been time to think things through. All she knew was that she couldn't stay, staying would condemn her to a future she didn't want, to a person she despised. She hadn't told her parents what her plans were, _he _would kill them if _he_ ever found out that they had been aware of her plan. Even though she´d kept quiet, her mother's warmest cloak and boots miraculously appeared at the backdoor of the little cottage her family lived in. As always, her mother had read her perfectly. She would be forever in her mother´s debt for this, for giving her a chance to escape the prison that was created for her. First though, she needed to survive this night and make it to the village before dawn, she would be safe there. Safe from the raving lunatics at the Ministry and save from _him_.

It had been two months now, eight weeks since her and many others lives had been altered forever. Fifty six days since she had laughed, thirteen hundred and forty-four hours since the utterly despicable bastards at the Ministry had passed the Marriage Law, since she had been matched with the vilest and cruellest of them all. It had been seven weeks since he had put a ring on her finger and had whispered in her ear that he couldn't wait for their wedding night. Six weeks since he had decided that he didn't want to wait. Five weeks since her body had been healed enough for her to be released from the infirmary. Four weeks since he had almost killed her father when he had wanted to file charges at the Ministry. Three weeks since she had noticed for the first time that he´d started watching her every move. Two weeks since he had moved their wedding to Christmas eve. A weeks since he had told her she would not be returning to Hogwarts after their wedding, ignoring her father´s protests. Two days since she had found out she was with child and a day before she was bound to him forever.

The Marriage Law passed fairly quickly by the Wizangamot, there hadn't been much protest before and after the passing of the decree. After the Dragon Pox epidemic decimated the Wizarding community just a few years earlier and the number of Squibs born to Pureblood families, made a larger part of the community see there wasn't much of a choice left than to dilute the Purest of bloodlines and force the younger generation to marry and encourage them to have children. The more the better. But instead of giving the youngsters the chance to find their own mates, the Ministry matched them based on criteria no one knew the details to.

She fit the bill of a wife perfectly, a Halfblood from fruitful stock. The eldest and only girl in a family with four children. Her lineage ensured whoever married her, that there would be more than enough offspring to carry on the family name. The result of the three days he had her in his grasp, proved that theory right.

The sound of a twig breaking, broke her focus. Standing still, she concentrated to pick up other sounds that seemed to be out of the ordinary. Hearing nothing, she carefully continued her track through the woods. She reckoned that in a hour of two, she would reach the village. Her passage to freedom. Then, there was another sound. This sounded more like laughing in the distance. She vehemently hoped it was just a young couple, sneaked out to have a snog in secret.

Quickening her pace, she tried to put more distance between herself and whoever was in the woods. It wouldn't do anyone any good if there were witnesses to her presence in the woods. In her haste, she became careless and wasn't long before she tripped over a large branch, hidden by the snow. Sprawled over the forest floor, she cursed loudly. It wasn't something she did often, but once she started she could get very colourful. _He_ said that he loved that about her. Thinking about it, about him, gave her chills.

There had been a time she had found him a very handsome and charming boy, with his dark features and broody look, making him an enigma for her and her friends. Until she learned his true character. He was evil and vile, manipulating others around him for his own benefit. He didn't shy away from violence and threats or exploiting others weaknesses. Basically took what he wanted and there was nothing that would stop him.

Crouching to her knees, she tried to regain her breath. A flash of pain ripped through her belly, making her gasp for air and instinctively she put her hand on her still flat stomach. She wasn't sure how she felt about the life growing inside of her, but for now she was going to protect it with all she had.

Another crack behind her made her look up. This was far too near for her liking and she tried to stand up, only to stumble again. Her cloak was caught in the twigs of the branch she fell over earlier. There was another crack and a small laugh. Her hart started beating erratically in her chest. This was the sound of Apparition and the laugh was too familiar. Frantically, she tried to free her cloak, only for it to be more entwined around the branch. Now, more than ever, she wished she had her wand with her. But he had taken that, and her broom, from her when he'd held her against her will all those weeks ago. Her wandless magic was still weak thus useless to help her in this situation.

She sensed him before she saw him and didn't dare look up. When his shiny boots appeared in her peripheral, a desperate sob escaped her. He had found her.

"Did you really think that you could get away from me?" His voice was deceptively even.

She refused to look up or answer him. He didn't need to see her desperation. It was only when he roughly pulled her head back by her hair that she saw his face. He was mad, his beautiful blue eyes were ablaze with a fury that scared her immensely. He intensified the pressure on her scalp.

"Answer me, my love," he sneered.

When she remained silent, he suddenly released his hold on her. The unexpected loss of pressure made her tumble forward. She could feel the wetness and cold from the snow seep through her cloak and dress, making them heavier than they already were. She tried to stand up again, with success this time and faced him with all the Gryffindor courage she could muster, but deep down she was scared. If he killed her here, no one would know what happened to her or be able to find her body. He would make sure of that. Still, she needed to stand up for herself, even if it would be for the last time.

"I hate you. You are a despicable excuse for a Wizard. You can't make me marry you, no matter what the Ministry dictates. I'd rather lose my magic…"

Before she could finish her sentence, he had her pinned against a large tree with a tight grip on her throat. The force barely allowed her to breath. The earlier fury that etched his features was now replaced by a mocking smirk. His face was close to hers, his warm breath sending shivers down her cold skin. Looking in his eyes, she wondered for the umpteenth time, how someone so beautiful could be so cruel.

"We both know I can make you do whatever I want," he whispered in her ear, reminding her of their private time together in the Room of Requirements. "And Law or not, I would have taken you as mine, no matter what. The idiots at the Ministry just sped up my plans."

She believed him. He had followed her for months prior to the passing of the law. He even cornered her several times during her prefect rounds, before the summer holiday. It had been sheer luck that they had been disturbed each time. She'd even mocked him the last time she escaped his grasp, rescued by professor Dumbledore. The joke was on her though. In the end, she had only managed to delay the inevitable.

He placed a soft kiss on her throat, if it weren't for his hand around it, it would have almost felt like the kiss of a lover. The bile rose to her mouth, the revulsion to his touch was too strong to hide and she couldn't help but recoil from it. Ignoring her reaction to him, he continued trailing soft kisses along her jaw. His free hand moved up to her belly, fingers spread, it covered a large part of it. He softly murmured a spell she didn't recognise. The magic swirling around her, however, felt familiar. She'd seen this before, her cousin had performed this spell when his wife fell pregnant. It would protect the baby and in the worst case, keep the mother alive long enough for her to birth the child. The tears she had held back finally fell down from her eyes. He knew, he would never let her go now.

"You didn't think you could hide this from me, did you? Silly girl," he murmured against her skin. "You're mine now, there is no turning back."

"I'll fight you every step of the way," she bit back and spat him in his face. In a feeble attempt to escape him, she tried knee him. More in surprise than hurt, he released his hold on her. She didn't get far though. Just a few steps before he got a hold of her pony tail and yanked her back, hard. She tumbled on her back and in a flash he was straddling her. With her free arms, she tried to fight him off, hitting and scratching him where ever she could. But he was much stronger and within several moments he had her arms pinned to her torso. He managed to hold her wrists together with one hand and with the other held a tight grip on her throat.

"My little pet has claws, that should be fun," he sounded… amused. "Is this the best you have? You disappoint me."

"I hate you, I'll always hate you" she hissed. He needed to realise that this was not what she wanted or would comply to. His only answer was his melodious laughter.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you," he laughed but then suddenly turned serious again, the fury from earlier etched his face, his hand tightening around her throat. "But I will kill you if defy me like this again."

She could only nod, her instinct for survival kicking in, he was cutting off her air supply. No doubt in her mind that he would be capable of killing her or at least keep her alive long enough till the baby was born. Thinking of the child, she made a rapt decision. She needed to live, at least long enough to prevent the baby to grow up to be like its father.

He released his hold on her and helped her up like a gentleman. He even helped her dust off the snow from her cloak and cast a drying spell on her soaked clothes. She felt defeated, how on earth did she think she could escape him? How did he find her this deep in the woods?

"How did you find me?" She needed to know, it could be useful for future attempts.

He looked at her for a minute with a boyish grin on his face. She just wanted to slap it off his face.

"I've marked you, my pet. Or have you forgotten?" He didn't say anything more after that.

Involuntarily, her hand reached to the back of her neck. How could she forget, it had burned for days and every day she did her hair, her fingers grazed the ridges of the scar he left there. It was the last straw and before she knew it, tears were streaming over her cold cheeks again. She would never be able to escape him.

He merely shook his head at her misery and wrapped his arms around her, again ignoring her flinching away, and Disapparated them away. Her last thought before they disappeared was her hope that this would turn out to be nightmare. That she would wake up in the morning and laugh away the terror she was feeling right now.

That never happened. A mere twelve hours later the wizard married the witch of his obsessions. She was his now and with the new life growing inside her, a life he put in there deliberately, no one would be able to take her away from him. She would grow to tolerate him and love their children. A time would come that she wouldn´t shy away from his touch, he was sure of it. He would be truly happy with her, even if she wasn´t.

* * *

**(twists hands nervously)**

**My first story. What did you think? Should I continue?**


End file.
